Frame pullers are used to straighten the frames and bodies of damaged vehicles. There are two general types of frame pullers: stationary frame pullers and portable frame pullers. Both of these types of frame pullers have been in use in the auto body repair industry for many years.
The stationary frame pullers include a rack on which the vehicle is positioned. These frame pullers are very versatile and can apply a variety of pulling forces from a wide range of angles. Unfortunately, stationary frame pullers are very expensive and require moving the damaged vehicle onto the rack. Moreover, many repairs to a damaged vehicle do not require applying pulling forces to difficult to reach points on the vehicle. Accordingly, the versatility of the stationary frame pullers is typically underused.
Portable frame pullers are much less expensive than stationary frame pullers, and can be moved around a vehicle being repaired. Many portable frame pullers, however, require securing the frame puller and vehicle relative to the ground using tie downs or anchor pots. This requires that the vehicle is moved to a particular location in order to perform repairs. Moreover, portable frame pullers are often limited in the directions in which a pulling force can be applied due to the frame puller construction or damage to the vehicle. As a result, portable frame pullers cannot always apply the desired pulling force that a stationary frame puller can or are as portable as desired.